In 1903, the Edison Manufacturing Company released The Great Train Robbery, a 15-minute film that terrified audiences with its final, in-your-face gunshot.

It was so successful that, a year later, it was remade. And yes, with the exact same name.

Even Alfred Hitchcock, who practically defined the modern thriller, remade his own movie The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1934 and 1956. Today, most fans remember the latter version, starring Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day, and it signature song, "Que Sera Sera."

The point, of course, is that the iPad rebranding won't be the first "remake," nor will it be the last.

Apple launched its new iPad on Wednesday. From reports, the "new iPad" moniker was introduced without fuss or explanation, simply the latest model in what apparently will be a series of annual updates.

Remember that the concept of a model year originated around the 1920s, as department stores, boutiques, and designers jointly dictated the direction of fashion for the coming year: hemlines up or collars down, the colors and patterns that men and women of society would stock their closets with to indicate status.

In the decades to come, Alfred Sloan would adapt those conventions to General Motors and the automobile world. Each model year would offer some new, compelling selling point: a more powerful engine, say, or more luxurious styling. Today, we have cars like the 2012 Ford Mustang, a base model with modular options packages designed to improve and individualize each customer's experience. Apple, of course, offers different storage and connectivity options. But the base experience is a common one.

The subtext, of course, is that these examples  a movie, a fashion line, a car  are all icons whose influence shifts popular culture toward a particular direction. In the new iPad's case, the unspoken dictum is this: thou shalt compare all new 2012 tablets to the new iPad's Retina Display. Within moments of the new iPad's announcement, I did so, asking Sony Electronics president Phil Molyneux whether Sony, too, could create a screen with the resolution of the new iPad.

Molyneux looked thoughtful for a moment, and then gracefully dodged the question. "I would defer to the quality of our existing screens," he replied.

Honestly, Apple's tried the annual model-year strategy several times before: our archives are filled with such awkwardly named reviews as Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation). The only difference that I can see is that Apple's Steve Jobs typically referred to a new iteration as the "all-new nano." Rebooting the franchise, as it were, also eliminates the possibility of something awkward like the iPad 12. That's just another iPad. A "new" iPad is something noteworthy.

Some have suggested that a smaller, cheaper iPad might be released in the fall. This too, would be consistent with Sloan's vision, known as the "ladder of success," which priced Chevrolet as the common man's car and the Cadillac as the automobile of the executive class. I doubt that Apple would carve out a separate brand, but it's been willing to use cheaper options to encourage more customers to enter the Apple ecosystem. It's also almost certain that "the new iPhone" will be released in the future, rather than the iPhone 5.

Apple's entire image has been predicated upon convincing consumers that its phones, tablets, and personal computers are more than a collection of parts and software  that they're cultural touchstones, rather than just another CE device. This is just another step in that direction.

About the Author

Mark Hachman Mark joined ExtremeTech in 2001 as the news editor, after rival CMP/United Media decided at the time that online news did not make sense in the new millennium.
Mark stumbled into his career after discovering that writing the great American novel did not pay a monthly salary, and that his other possible career choice, physics, require... See Full Bio

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